


Put Out The Flames

by Sparrowlicious



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Canon, Angst, Canon Universe, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fix-It, Hurt/Comfort, Hux comic, M/M, Mutual Masturbation, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:15:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21882871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sparrowlicious/pseuds/Sparrowlicious
Summary: This is my secret santa gift toinquisitor_tohru!What if the old man wasn't there when Hux and Kylo crashed on the alien planet in the 'Age of the Resistance: General Hux' comic? What if they had to work together?And what if they continue to work together afterwards, without Snoke even knowing...?
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 9
Kudos: 91
Collections: Kylux Fanworks Secret Santa 2019





	Put Out The Flames

**Author's Note:**

  * For [inquisitor_tohru](https://archiveofourown.org/users/inquisitor_tohru/gifts).



> This idea got way out of hand, I hope you still enjoy it. <3

“Hux! Get up!” Kylo shouted, his attention momentarily on the downed officer. If anything happened to the man he would never hear the end of it from master Snoke after receiving his punishment for not taking better care of the general. He tried to rouse him with the Force only to find a bad memory uncovered as he nudged at his mind. It was one of Hux’s childhood memories no less. Kylo ignored its contents for now but still decided to file it away for later. It was never a bad idea to keep tabs on an enemy’s weakness.

The general roused suddenly, almost shooting up where he lay on the ground if it weren’t for his head wound.

“What? What’s happening?” he said as he put a hand on his wound. Kylo kept himself from helping. He was sure a man like Hux would take his entire hand if he offered him even one finger. And yet he still caught himself reaching out, a dumb impulse, nothing else.

Luckily enough Hux got to his feet all by himself, casting off his coat while commanding their hysterical pilot. There wasn’t much to be done, Kylo knew. Their ship was completely disabled. The pilot’s words about them being stuck in the nearby planet’s gravity only confirm the impending doom. So Kylo did the only thing he could think of: He shielded himself with the Force to break the fall.

Somehow Hux managed to stick close enough to also survive the crash onto the planet. The ship shattered around them, bits and pieces rained down as Kylo stood there, using the Force to protect himself and Hux.

Near Kylo’s feet Hux looked around in awe and confusion. Kylo wasn’t sure if he shouldn’t have at least tried to ‘accidentally’ let Hux die in the crash. Maybe it was for the best he didn’t because even through Hux’s apparent hatred for him Kylo could feel at least the tiniest bit of gratitude. And he was also not interested in dealing with whoever would replace Hux. At least Hux he knew. Hux he could read.

“You saved me?” Hux said, unbelieving. Kylo could hardly believe it himself.

“Not intentionally. I saved myself,” Kylo said gruffly. “You were just nearby.”

He let go of the Force, causing additional debris to rain down. As some of it struck Hux, Kylo could feel the gratitude turn to nothing, then to hatred. Good, Kylo thought to himself as he stalked over to the leftovers of the shuttle’s control panel. There wasn’t much there.

“Communications are out,” Kylo said, pointing out the obvious. It was irritating but he had to confirm first that no part of the ship was still usable before thinking of anything else. They needed to get off this planet and soon.

“Which means I have no choice but to talk to you instead of literally anyone else,” Hux said, his hate and irritation only grew. Kylo didn’t think much of him either. Hux was a pest and for some reason Snoke kept him around. He couldn’t for the life of him figure out why.

“What about the pilot?” Kylo said. He couldn’t feel his presence in the Force anymore.

“Oh,” Hux said and pointed towards the wreckage. “There’s a bit of him over here,” then to another place, “And over here.” Hux turned to point at a piece of debris that was stuck in a tree. “Also a little bit over there.”

Kylo growled under his breath. This was quite the mess.

“Everything that happened with the shuttle … it’s not normal. This was clearly sabotage,” Kylo said. Hux scoffed at him.

“How brilliant of you to tell me, Ren. Of course it was kriffing sabotage!”

“Interesting how your own people try to kill you. You must really be inspiring loyalty,” Ren said, the sarcasm dripping from his last sentence even if the vocoder couldn’t pick it up properly. He was sure Hux understood.

“What about you, Ren? I thought you were a mind-reader. Your Force powers sure only come in handy when we’re already hurtling to our death instead of preventing any of this!” Hux said, unafraid as he stared into Kylo’s unflinching helmet. While Hux’s anger was amusing at other times, this time it annoyed Kylo endlessly. This impudent worm! Who did he think he was?

Kylo’s lightsaber was in his hand in an instant, it sizzled to life between him and Hux who held his gaze unafraid. Or at least he was staring at Kylo’s mask in such a way one could think he knew exactly where his eyes were.

“It would take the First Order an age to search every point of our hyperspace path. No one knows where we are. No one would miss you. No one would know,” Kylo hissed. He could barely hold himself back. His hand was itching to simply end Hux’s life right there and then, slice him open, rend his limbs from his body.

“Snoke would know,” Hux said, audibly grinding his teeth. “He’ll find it in your head somewhere. He’ll punish you.”

Kylo held his stare for a moment longer, then with an angry growl he shut off his lightsaber. Hux was right though. Even if everybody else would believe the lie of General Hux perishing in the crash, Snoke would know. He’d tear it right out of Kylo’s mind and punish him for it. As much as Kylo hated to admit it, he dreaded Snoke’s punishment more than he was annoyed by Hux’s presence.

“I don’t understand why Snoke keeps you around,” Kylo said, thinking it not for the first time.

“Of course you don’t,” Hux tells him as he turned away, clearly looking for something.

“We have to find a way off this planet. We have to let the First Order know where we are,” Kylo said, stating the obvious yet again. He didn’t look at their ship’s debris too closely yet but maybe he could try and tinker with the remaining electronics for a while and-

“How do you propose we do that?” Hux said, his voice overly snotty as if Kylo had said something ridiculous. “We’re all alone here and-”

“Shh!” Kylo interrupted him. Hux gave him a pointed look but stood to attention. There was something lurking in the nearby vegetation, Kylo could tell. Something malicious. He felt killing intent in whatever it was.

Kylo's lightsaber sprang to live with a roar as he brandished it, its predatory growl loud in the unnatural stillness of the jungle.

"Hux, get behind me," Kylo said as he put himself between the danger he sensed and Hux.

The eerie quiet didn't last long as a blue-furred monster burst through the trees, its fangs sharp as were its claws. It’s roar was loud even through the protective shell of Kylo’s helmet.

His attention was suddenly torn, a glance over his shoulder had him witness Hux fleeing deeper into the jungle like the coward he was.

"Really!?" Kylo said as he turned to face the creature fully.

Kylo dodged a swipe of its claws, twirling his saber to catch it in the arm but it was faster than his strike and he only managed to singe a few hairs.

"Enough of this," Kylo hissed. He hated to admit it but losing Hux in the forest wasn't ideal. Kylo reached out with the Force and crushed the monster's windpipe. It fell down unconscious with a loud thud. He’d finish it later.

Kylo turned away momentarily.

"Hux, I don't know how far your cowardly legs carried you but you can come out now," Kylo said loudly. He could sense movement and a killing intent. For a moment Kylo thought Hux might really be foolish enough to try and end him while being stranded himself.

But then another blue creature burst through the trees, startling Kylo enough to let his guard down.

He could barely get a hold with the Force on the second one when the first monster took a swipe at him, hitting him in the head.

  
  


Kylo lay dazed on the ground, his helmet missing as he heard shots fired. His awareness scrambled to hold on to his consciousness. An unnatural sounding cry of pain told him that one of the monsters was wounded but it wasn’t enough to kill it.

"Hux," Kylo muttered. The coward at least found his blaster!

With the monsters momentarily distracted Kylo pulled his lightsaber to him with the Force, he could barely scramble to his feet as they noticed him.

This time Kylo made sure to stab the beast through the head while stopping its movements with the Force. The second beast yowled in grief at the loss of its companion, Hux and his blaster suddenly forgotten. It shouldn't have though because before Kylo could even reach out the monster fell to the ground a few feet in front of him, its back littered with blaster wounds, the pelt smoking from the last hit. It stank terribly but it didn’t even twitch when Kylo kicked it with his boot. In the Force they were still, dead where they lay.

Kylo was breathing hard, the adrenaline suddenly gone as his awareness slipped from his mind.

  
  


Kylo opened one bleary eye, the smell of roasting meat was prominent in his nose.

"Back among the living?" Hux said from where he sat on a piece of shuttle debris. There was a campfire close to where Kylo lay on the ground on top of a tarp. The source of the smell were crudely made meat skewers which were stuck in the ground close to the fire.

Kylo groaned as he sat up, his head still ringing. The monster must have struck him plenty hard if even his helmet couldn’t properly protect him from the aftermath.

"I didn't know you could make…," his hand made a sweeping gesture to Hux's impromptu camp, "all of this." From what Kylo saw Hux had also erected an emergency shelter, probably from the shuttle supplies that survived the crash even though they weren’t using it at the moment. Hux scoffed at him. Maybe it was because of his head injury but Kylo felt something like relief from Hux. Impossible.

"Of course," Hux said haughtily. "All officers are required to have basic survival training."

Only now did Kylo notice the bandage on Hux's head and remembered he too had suffered a head injury during the crash. He badly cleaned the blood from his face but it wasn’t entirely gone.

Kylo looked around for his helmet, he suddenly felt naked without it but his vision blurred as he turned too fast, another groan escaped his mouth.

“Don’t worry about this bucket of yours, I picked up your helmet after getting you over here,” Hux said and pointed to somewhere on the side of the tarp Kylo sat on. There it was, besides him in the dark grass with a couple of new scratches. Kylo couldn’t imagine Hux easily moving him. The man wasn’t physically strong and Kylo knew he was heavy due to his muscles and height. Dragging him over here must not have been an easy task.

“Here,” Hux said as he offered Kylo a meat skewer which he took dumbly. It was weirdly cut, sliced and burnt, not quite like the cut of a vibro knife. Kylo had a sneaking suspicion.

“Did you use my lightsaber to cut this off those monsters?” Kylo blurted out. Hux seemed meek for a mere second before he scoffed, completely self-absorbed.

“What else was I supposed to do? It’s an easy source of fresh food and my vibro knife couldn’t get through the hide,” Hux said and turned up his nose at Kylo.

Kylo wasn't sure in this moment if he should be impressed or angry that Hux dared touch his saber but not only that but also activated and used it. His stomach growled and with some regret Kylo took the offered skewer from Hux. It did smell good, he had to admit. He might as well save his anger for something else.

Hux watched him like a hawk as he bit into the meat. The searing from the saber gave it an acceptable flavor even if the underlying taste was below average. Kylo chewed hard on his piece. It was tough but at least it was food. For some reason it smelled better than it tasted, usually he had only experienced this the other way around.

"How is it?" Hux said.

"Edible," Kylo said, unable to think of anything else to describe it. "Did you find any rations at all?"

Hux gave him a thoughtful look as he picked up a meat skewer of his own.

"Yes. But they won't last us long should we try to rely on them."

Kylo knew what he meant. They would have to try and focus on food from the planet itself if they were to survive on here for a longer period of time. It was already dark and Kylo wondered briefly if the fire would keep hostile creatures away well enough. But through the Force he couldn't find anything off except Hux's worry. Despite his haughty exterior he was genuinely scared of perishing on this wild planet, or at least this was how Kylo chose to interpret it. He could dive deeper into Hux’s mind if he wanted but he didn’t have the desire at the moment.

"I'll try and take a look at the leftovers of our comm system tomorrow. It might be fixable," Kylo said but Hux shook his head, instantly annoying him with his dismissal.

"I already tried while you were out. We're missing some vital parts which were destroyed. Most of the console is just gone," Hux said. “If we’re lucky there might be some sort of settlement on the planet. Can’t you use your powers to figure it out?”

Kylo was tired, beaten and injured but he certainly didn’t need Hux to know any of this. He had already shown enough weakness for one day. Strangely enough he couldn’t feel anything but worry from Hux. No gloating, no feeling of superiority. In Kylo’s mind Hux was nothing but a coward so this wasn’t unusual even if Hux managed to hide it behind an arrogant facial expression.

“It’s only us around here. We should find a point of elevation to scout the era more effectively,” Kylo said. Which was also something they could only do properly during daylight hours.

Hux sighed deeply. He rubbed a gloved hand over his face. Kylo noticed how tired he looked. His mind seemed tired as well. He had probably been watching over Kylo the entire time he was knocked out.

“Get some rest,” Kylo said as he slowly got to his feet. He collected his lightsaber with the Force and strapped it to his belt. “I’ll take the next watch.” It was the only logical thing to do in Kylo’s mind. If he only had Hux to work with he might as well treat him like a more valuable asset than he probably was.

Hux looked like he wanted to argue but then the tension in his shoulders left him, too tired to argue.

“Fine,” he said and entered the emergency shelter. Kylo could hear him scrambling around until he stopped moving.

As much as Kylo hated to admit it, Hux might not be entirely useless in this situation. Even if a stormtrooper would have been a lot more useful than Hux. A trooper had various useful sensors in their helmet and they wouldn’t balk at Kylo commanding them. Hux on the other hand had neither a useful helmet nor would he accept any command from Kylo unless he forced him.

Of all the people to get marooned with it had to be Hux. Maybe it was his head injury but Kylo briefly wondered if this was the will of the Force. He couldn’t help but stare into the direction of the emergency shelter, remembering how tired and thin Hux had looked. He was injured as well. It was rare to see him show any weakness at all.

It was strange to see him like this.

With Hux resting Kylo decided he might as well use the Force to scout a little bit. Despite making a show of standing up Kylo sank back down near the fire onto the tarp Hux had previously pulled him onto where he crossed his legs and closed his eyes. With a deep breath Kylo extended his awareness in the Force. He found Hux awake with his mind racing, overthinking everything, his thoughts running in circles apparently. Always scheming. Kylo gave him a subtle nudge with the Force to make him sleep before eventually checking their immediate surroundings but still, his awareness kept coming back to Hux, at least until he finally drifted off to sleep. Kylo told himself Hux would be useless without sleep. He wouldn’t function right and he needed Hux at his full capacity.

When he was sure Hux was finally in a deep slumber he extended his awareness again. There were so many animals in the forest, some of them more active than others but none of them even close to human intelligence. They really were all alone here. Just them and a bunch of potentially dangerous animals that only kept away because they were scared enough of their presence and the fire.

A few hours later Kylo was still meditating when Hux roused slowly. Kylo could tell because Hux’s presence in the Force was rather … apparent.

“I can’t believe you’re sitting here with your eyes closed,” Hux said after climbing out of the shelter, "Instead of keeping watch."

Kylo rolled his shoulders and opened his eyes. He had deliberately left off his helmet where it lay besides him on the ground. While he liked hiding his face from prying eyes it was only Hux here and him. And Hux had already seen him plenty of times.

"I can keep us safe with the Force far better than you ever could with just your eyes and your blaster," Kylo said coolly. He didn't expect gratitude from Hux but at the very least he could quit his whining. He was about to ask if Hux was at least rested but he could feel his irritation through the Force so he didn’t want to start another argument.

Kylo stood and stretched thoroughly. After hours of meditation he dearly needed it. He moved fluidly as he stretched and it wasn't lost on him how Hux's eyes kept track of him. The general was probably looking for an opening or maybe he was just overly curious. Kylo didn’t care.

Later they inspected the shuttle debris together. Kylo hated to admit it but Hux was right, there was scarcely anything useful to be found, least of all parts to repair their comms with. Hux had done a good job the day before at scouring the remains of their shuttle. Their little basic camp held everything useful from the debris. If Hux was smug about it Kylo didn’t feel it. Maybe he also hoped there would be more.

“Well,” he said. “Even though I couldn’t find any intelligent life through the Force we might still find something useful.” Kylo wasn’t overly sure about his own words but he couldn’t give up hope. His last option was to use his Force connection with Snoke to contact their leader but he wasn’t ready to face the punishment for his own incompetence which might as well be to leave them stranded as a means of training even if it meant for Kylo to take care of Hux further. No, they had to find their own way off this planet.

“I don’t see any mountains or similar from here,” Hux said, using the binoculars he saved from the wreck. “The tallest thing around here are trees.”

“Then one of us will have to climb a tree,” Kylo said. He didn’t need the Force to know how Hux felt about the idea. Not that he trusted Hux with such an important task anyway or believed he even had the strength to do it.

Kylo didn’t have to search long to find a tree he could use as a lookout. Hux followed silently for once on his heel. Blessed quiet at last!

“I hope there is something out there,” Hux muttered.

Kylo ignored him for now as he took off his outer armor, it would be better to climb without it. Hux’s eyes were on him again, this time though Kylo was sure it wasn’t just to observe or to find an opening for his tiny knife. With his back turned Kylo smirked to himself. The general clearly had other things on his mind as well despite their precarious situation.

“Give me those,” he prompted, holding out his hand for Hux to deposit the binoculars into. Kylo shoved them into his pocket before starting his ascend. The tree wobbled slightly under his weight but Kylo stabilized it using the Force. Even for a men of his strength climbing a tree was a piece of work but when he was finally at the top he took out the binoculars but didn’t use them immediately to look around to see if he could spot anything with his bare eyes. Kylo’s heart was racing. Even with the tracker in his belt Kylo didn’t want to move too far away from the crashed ship. It was as good a beacon as any for a rescue party. He was about to give up hope when something glinted in the distance. Kylo took out the binoculars to see what it was.

“Did you find something?” Hux shouted from the forest floor. He seemed anxious down there but Kylo couldn’t deal with him now.

“Maybe,” Kylo said. He zoomed in on his binoculars, spotting the partly covered hull of a ship. It could be nothing, just another wreck, or it could be their way off this planet.

"I found something!" Kylo shouted to Hux. Kylo could tell from up on the tree how giddy Hux was even if he didn’t show it oopenly. Kylo noted where the ship was, then put the binoculars back into his pocket before starting his descend. Surprisingly getting down was harder since he had the impulse to simply jump down but didn’t.

Kylo was sweating slightly by the time he was back on solid ground, leaves and such where sticking to him.

"And? What did you find?" Hux said. Kylo passed the binoculars off to Hux so he could carry them. He talked while he put his clothes back in order.

“A ship. I saw what looks like the hull of a ship. This could be useful. At the very least we should go and see if there’s rations if nothing else. Maybe it has a working comms system,” he said. Kylo could feel a burst of excitement from Hux, even if his face didn’t betray much. In the Force he was an open book. It was almost … pleasant since troopers were usually dull.

Usually Hux was resenting him, this time he seemed to be pleased. When it was about their survival Kylo could momentarily put their feud aside, even if it was still at the back of his mind. He hoped Hux could do the same before they went back to being bitter rivals. Even if egging Hux on was amusing, Kylo liked it better when they didn’t argue.

“How far is it?” Hux said. “We should probably take some food with us in case it’s too far.”

“Just a few clicks south,” Kylo said as he fastened his outer robe. “It might take an hour or so to get there.”

Hux shrugged.

“Fine,” he said, although he didn’t exactly sound like it. “Let’s go and get this over with.”

Despite his voice sounding annoyed, Kylo could tell Hux was still excited. Since he was the one who had spotted the ship, Kylo led the way with Hux trying his best to keep up. While Hux seemed nervous to be in the forest, Kylo kept his awareness extended in case they got attacked again. His hand constantly hovered near his saber in case he needed it to cut down another creature.

“I noticed you didn’t put your helmet on,” Hux said after they were walking for a few minutes. Kylo shrugged.

“It seems unnecessary,” he said.

They walked in silence for a while but then Hux's stomach audibly grumbled. Kylo remembered Hux asking about taking food along earlier and yet neither of them commented on Hux's hunger. While Kylo loved riling Hux up he had to remind himself not to since he wanted to get off the planet as soon as he could without having to deal with their ongoing rivalry. Less bickering meant more time to fix this situation.

“So you’re not going to say anything?” Hux said after a while. He looked embarrassed. Kylo shrugged it off this time.

“I thought for once we might work together to get off this planet,” Kylo said. “A truce, if you will.” He hoped Hux would accept.

Hux answered him with thoughtful silence as they walked.

“Fine,” he said and Kylo could tell he was actively biting his tongue so no insult or accusation could slip out. It might as well be another way for Kylo to make Hux feel insecure about his perceptions. In the end, Kylo thought to himself that it was Hux’s fault for not insisting more strongly on packing food for their scouting. It couldn’t be helped even though there were various berries and fruits growing along the way. Without knowledge of the planet’s flora these plants could potentially kill a man and Kylo wasn’t surprised about Hux not taking any chance.

They made their way to the ship eventually, the uncovered part of its hull glinting in the sun. Someone had taken good care to attempt and hide it but the green tarp had shifted away over time, the weather probably also doing its part.

“So this is it,” Hux said as the stood in front of it.

“I can’t sense anyone,” Kylo said. Apart from the both of them there were only animals in the forest.

Hux took a good look at the ship, or at least the parts visible since they didn’t remove the tarp yet.

“Looks like a battle ship from Alderaan,” Hux said thoughtfully. “Either way, it’s very old. But it might still have a working comms system or at least parts to build something to send a signal.”

Something in Kylo’s stomach dropped. Alderaan. He chose to actively ignore it. Even Hux didn’t jibe at him.

The door was closed. Kylo held up his arm to focus his Force. He wrenched the door open slowly and the ramp pulled down. They were greeted by stale air. Hux cocked his blaster next to him, ready to shoot whatever nasty surprise might be waiting for them but Kylo couldn’t sense anything or anyone.

He put himself between Hux and the ramp before activating his saber. They carefully entered the ship together, the lights flickering on the inside. No droids attacked them and there didn’t seem to be any traps.

“It appears safe enough,” Kylo said after a moment and powered down his saber while still keeping his hand hovering above the hilt. Meanwhile Hux didn’t put his blaster down while they inspected the interior of the ship.

“Someone lived here,” he said. Hux made an excited sound that had Kylo whip his head around to check what he found.

“A communications system!” Hux put away his blaster to fumble with the console. Hux’s excitement was infectious and Kylo’s heart was pounding fast at the prospect of having an easy way off this planet. Finally something was working out for them.

It didn’t turn on. Kylo’s stomach dropped, he could feel the same sinking feeling emanating from Hux’s energy in the Force. So much for that.

“Oh,” Hux said. “The ship is probably low on energy.” He gestured to the flickering lights. Hux seemed hopeful enough, meanwhile Kylo jogged his memories on the things he knew about fixing ships. Touching these memories was painful. Instead he waited for Hux to go on with whatever else he had to say.

“We might be able to reroute some systems to at least power up the comms,” Hux said. “Which unfortunately means there might be a chance of the comms not working but we won’t know until we power it up.”

“Fine,” Kylo said. “I think it’s best if we move our base camp here so we don’t have to travel when it gets dark.”

Hux didn’t disagree even if he didn’t seem pleased.

  
  


It took some time and effort to carry all of their supplies over to the ship but once they had everything set up they were fine to go ahead and work on it. As it turned out the ship itself had at least one small cot so they wouldn’t have to sleep on the ground or erect the emergency shelter again. Kylo left his helmet off as they worked.

“I wasn’t aware that you could do any of this, I must admit,” Kylo said as they were both inspecting energy lines behind two different panels. Hux scoffed.

“I grew up in what was leftover of the Empire. The First Order didn’t start out as the organization it now is,” Hux said. He was surprisingly skilled at what he did. This made Kylo almost believe the rumors he heard about Hux being the brain behind Starkiller Base.

“We had to fix up many old ships and bases. Things constantly broke or were long obsolete,” Hux continued. “We had to make do with what he had. I learned a thing or two back then. Everyone had to play their part.”

Kylo couldn’t help but smile to himself. So far Hux had never opened up to him. Not many people did in the Order. Usually Kylo was fine with it. But out here it was different.

“I imagine with your father being such a good pilot you learned a thing or two about ships,” Hux said. Even though there was no malice in his words Kylo still felt a hurt bloom inside his chest.

“I don’t want to talk about my parents,” he said curtly as he moved on to another panel. Hux was quiet for a moment as he worked.

“Noted,” he said.

  
  


It was beginning to get dark when they were finally finished. The only thing left was to turn the comms on and test if they worked correctly. They were both tired and ready to retire should it not work so they were at least rested enough to attempt and fix it.

“You know, Ren,” Hux said thoughtfully. “It’s nice to work together like this.”

Kylo could tell he actually meant it somewhere among his thoughts of grandeur. He offered Hux a slight smile. It was the friendliest expression he had ever shown Hux since they met and he could tell it had some sort of effect on the other man.

“It is. Too bad leader Snoke would squash any friendship we might develop,” he said. Maybe it was for the best. Friendships would only make Kylo vulnerable. He still had his knights, even if they weren’t exactly friends.

“Who is talking about friendship?” Hux scoffed but there was still a smile on his face. “Allies, maybe. Certainly we’re not enemies any longer, that much is sure.”

Kylo could see in Hux’s eyes what he meant, in his mind too. If Snoke didn’t know … but Snoke would know if he looked deeply. Unless they gave him no reason to look. They could at least try to hide it as best they could.

“I see,” Kylo said.

Hux gave him a nod, then he turned the communications system on. It sparked to live waiting for input. At the moment even something as simple as this seemed like a miracle.

“It works,” Hux said. This time his excitement wasn’t only apparent in the Force, his face was lit up with it as well. Kylo couldn’t help but feel… something at seeing Hux like this. He was like a different person. The sort of person Kylo wouldn’t mind as a friend or at least a close ally.

While Hux busied himself with contacting the Order, Kylo sat down on the small cot to wait. After talking over the comms for a moment Hux sat next to him, his body close due to the limited space.

“It might take a few hours,” Hux said. Their legs were almost touching but Kylo wasn’t bothered. A few hours ago he might have minded.

“It’s getting dark,” Kylo said. “We might as well rest. You worked hard today, you should lay down.”

Hux chuckled. “For you to acknowledge my work, now that’s a first. But I can’t rest now. Not until I find and execute the traitor who manipulated the shuttle.”

Kylo suddenly realized it had slipped his mind. Hux was right, there was still a traitor to deal with.

“Do you want me to handle it? Shower my wrath down on them?” They both knew Kylo was mostly feared by officers and stormtroopers alike. It would be easy to make the last few moments of the traitor hell.

“No,” Hux said. “This was aimed at me, I will deal with it.”

“You know, this is how we should present it to Snoke as well.” Kylo was fond of the idea. Yes, master Snoke was wise but Kylo knew he couldn’t live without a real connection to another human being. The knights of Ren weren’t like Hux, they were disconnected from the cause both of them served. No. Kylo needed a connection in the Order itself, even if it were only to understand the organization better.

He know that was a lie. He was lying to himself. He wanted Hux as his friend, as his ally, someone he could trust within the Order who didn’t blindly follow. Someone who was unafraid of him. Hux could be that man. Kylo wanted him to be that man.

Hours later Hux left the holo chamber before him while Kylo entertained the Supreme Leader’s explanations and opinions on Hux for a little while longer before he went to seek Hux out. Some time had gone by and he found Hux in his office with a mug of steaming tea and a pleased expression on his face.

“Ren, how nice of you to join me,” he said, gesturing to the chair across from him, the desk between them. “Come, have a cup of tea with me.”

Kylo took off his helmet and placed it on the desk before sitting down across from Hux. He couldn’t help but smile smugly at him.

“Well done, I wasn’t under the impression leader Snoke was suspicious” he said. Not once did Snoke dig deeper into anything they had told him. Kylo sniffed the air for the tea but it didn’t really smell like anything much. “Let me take a sip of yours? Just to see if I like it?”

Hux shoved the mug towards him with an easy smile. Kylo didn’t know if he could get used to Hux smiling at him even if it seemed real. It felt real in the Force as well. Kylo picked up the mug and took a sip, his face immediately drew up into a frown. He shoved the mug back into Hux’s hand.

“How can you drink this?” Kylo said, thinking to himself that Hux was surely joking about the tea. It was vile and bitter! But Hux raised one of his perfect ginger eyebrows at him.

“I love this tea. It helps me relax,” he said and took a sip of his mug as if to demonstrate. “Surely you must have something that helps you relax?”

“Usually meditating does the trick,” Kylo said even if at times even meditating didn’t help but he couldn’t tell Hux that he sometimes needed to destroy something, even if it was only a training droid. “Would you like to try it?”

Kylo could barely imagine it, Hux sitting down with him cross-legged only Hux wouldn’t connect to the Force since he couldn’t. It would be nice to meditate with someone again. For a moment Kylo thought Hux might say yes, but then he slightly shook his head, his laughter just a huff which fell from his lips.

“I think we both have our methods,” he said as he raised his mug as if to toast before taking a long sip.

“Now,” Kylo said. “Tell me about how you found the traitor and dealt with them.” He was curious about the tale and Hux didn’t disappoint as he smirked and started to tell Kylo everything about it, from how he grilled a radar technician which then led up to the information about how Admiral Brooks pulled the strings.

Kylo actually found himself chuckling as Hux recalled how he borrowed Phasma’s weapon to shoot Brooks down. The old man didn’t go down easy, as he deserved.

“Another one of my father’s old friends dead and gone. Good riddance,” Hux said after telling Kylo all about it. The relief was obvious in Hux’s face and his presence in the Force. Kylo suddenly had to think back to the memory he had seen in Hux’s mind during their shuttle crash. It opened his eyes to so many things, the reason why Hux hated those old Imperials as well as his deceased father.

“You knew, didn’t you? That these old Imperials are after your life,” Kylo said quietly. He was not stranger to people wanting him dead but maybe Hux felt differently about it.

“It’s not surprising,” Hux said with a sniff of playful arrogance. “I climbed the ranks much faster than any of them and I did it because of my hard work. My father certainly didn’t help me out. And then he was in my way.”

Kylo smirked. “Maybe some day you will tell me how you dealt with your father,” he said. Kylo had always guessed that Hux wasn’t entirely uninvolved in his own father’s death but he never had any confirmation.

Hux leaned back in his chair and folded his hands together.

“Maybe we can talk about it another time,” he said with a mischievous grin. A pleasant shower ran down Kylo’s spine. For some reason something about Hux’s demeanor was so incredibly attractive to him at this moment, he couldn’t quite believe it. Since this time Hux’s lust for power wasn’t in rivalry with his own he was actually an attractive man. Kylo tried not to dwell on it for too long, he couldn’t allow it if he didn’t know how Hux felt about him in return.

“Fine,” Kylo said with a chuckle. It meant they would meet up for another private talk. Kylo looked forward to it already.

Weeks later Kylo found himself at Hux’s door. He wasn’t sure why. Mere minutes ago he had returned from a mission but instead of making his way to his own quarters he wound up in front of Hux’s with a great need to see him. Something about the mission left him in need of comfort that his master could not provide, nor anyone else on the ship.

Kylo fumbled for the call button, hitting it one time too often as he waited for Hux to let him in. There weren’t sounds coming through the walls but Kylo could tell Hux was on his way to open the door. Kylo was aware he looked a mess, still covered in dirt and sweaty from his mission.

Hux opened the door, his mouth already open to berate him but then he stopped, his eyes changing from annoyance to worry as he took in the state of Kylo.

“Come in,” he eventually said and moved aside. Kylo more stumbled than walked into the room and sat himself down on Hux’s couch where they had often spent hours upon hours talking about their ideas for the Order and more.

Hux sat down besides him but stayed silent at first. Kylo couldn’t help but look him over, instantly forgetting his own worries for a bit as he saw Hux’s leisurely outfit of soft pyjama pants, his thin white tank top partly hidden by the black, silky-looking robe he was wearing. Sure, it wasn’t the first time Kylo saw him like this – soft, desirable – but he was weary enough at the moment to let it affect him.

Even worse, Hux seemed to notice it. Kylo shook it off quickly, thinking Hux could possibly never think the same of him. How could he, anyway? Hux was handsome, soft at the right places and had grown up in the Order. In Kylo’s mind, Hux had to be desired by many, the ideal partner for a relationship.

Kylo flinched as he felt a touch on his arm, Hux’s hand was warm even through the many layers of his outfit. He didn’t seem to mind the grime.

“Do you need to go to medbay?” Hux said, finally ripping Kylo out of his thoughts. He shook his head.

“No, no. I’m not injured,” Kylo said. At least not physically but the state of his mind had to be clear on his uncovered face if even Hux could realize something wasn’t exactly right.

“Skywalker is alive,” Kylo said breathlessly. “I thought I killed him, but…”

Hux knew the story of how Kylo came to join the First Order, how he had left his uncle’s temple. How it had burned down. He didn’t have to explain any of this anymore. The only thing left out was the biting fear inside of him, the fear his uncle could still attempt to strike him down. It gripped him so tightly all of sudden he barely noticed Hux leaving his side until he returned later with a steaming mug which he pushed into Kylo’s hands.

“Drink this,” Hux said as he sat back down. “It’s not tarine tea. I know you don’t like it. Instead it’s an herbal blend that helps me sleep sometimes. It calms the nerves. I think you might need it.”

The tea was surprising as was Hux’s warmth. He stayed quietly by Kylo’s side while Kylo sipped at his tea. It was nice and hot and definitely not the terrible monstrosity that was Hux’s favored tarine tea. By now Hux knew not to ask about Kylo’s family so he didn’t.

“I’ll have to find him and kill him,” Kylo said after he finished at least half of the tea. “Snoke thinks so too. I interrogated members of a Resistance cell on Lont-05 who heard rumors about there being a map to Skywalker’s location.” He looked up at Hux for the first time since he made his discovery of Hux’s enticing outfit.

“I will need your help. Your resources. Your troops. I need the Order to help me track down Skywalker. I’m sure he will try to destroy us some day and if not him then any of his wayward students I didn’t subjugate or kill. Kriff, he might even take on new students,” Kylo said. He knew for a fact there weren’t many out there anymore, former or potential students, he had made sure of it himself.

Hux swallowed audibly besides him. If he wanted to say anything about Kylo’s apparent fear he didn’t. Some of the things between them remained unspoken even if they were understood, such as Kylo’s complicated relationship with his family and the reason why Hux had his father killed as well as other old imperial officers.

“Of course,” Hux said, his warm hand was back on Kylo’s arm like a soothing weight. “I will lend you everything you need. But Ren, don’t forget we have our parts to play. Don’t be too eager where Snoke might have eyes.” Kylo finally looked at Hux and couldn’t help but smile. Of course Hux was right. But they had fooled Snoke a couple of times by now. They could do it again.

“We’ll play our best roles,” he said. Hux smiled back at him.

***

Kylo’s shuttle to the Absolution was on time for the briefing Hux promised him so he would be able to follow the meeting he was to attend. It would be yet another boring thing on his agenda but at least he would have a private moment with Hux before having to deal with yet another meeting. Even though he knew these kind of things were necessary he was currently more interested of being in the field. He was still on Skywalker’s trail and with most of nothing to show for his work. Stuffy meeting rooms weren’t Kylo’s favorite place to be, not when he was focused on such an important goal as taking his own uncle down.

It had been some months since Kylo had started his search for Skywalker and yet he was still chasing shadows and rumours. Years ago he had severed his connection to his uncle in a very violent manner. Even if Skywalker was in a system close by Kylo could never hope to locate him without him noticing or even worse, without accidentally killing himself by exerting his power too much.

The troopers on board saluted Kylo as they should when he stepped from his shuttle. They seemed rather young but Kylo wasn’t surprised. He frowned behind his helmet – for some reason he had thought Hux might be waiting in the hangar for him but of course the general had better things to do. That was until one meek looking officer stepped forward and nervously greeted him.

“Sir, General Hux said I should immediately escort you to his quarters,” the man said. Nervous officers weren’t unusual in his presence so instead of investigating further Kylo simply followed along. He hadn’t been on the Absolution before so the help was appreciated. Unlike him though Hux had quarters on here which coincided with his work on the stormtrooper program since the Absolution was after all a training facility. Fortunately the way to Hux’s quarters wasn’t as long as Kylo had feared and the officer left him, visibly happy to be alive and well and out of his presence.

Kylo waited until the officer was at least around the corner before he alerted Hux of his presence at the door. He didn't have to wait long to be face-to-face with the man himself who looked at him with a certain kind of fury, but when he saw who it was his gaze softened immediately. Apparently someone had disturbed Hux before.

"There you are, come in, come in," Hux urged him and stepped aside. Kylo followed and only as the door closed behind them did he take Hux in. His hair wasn't yet styled and he only wore a plaited black satin robe with his legs sticking out bare. It was the most naked Kylo had ever seen him. Kylo swallowed hard, glad for his helmet even though he was taking it off.

“So, the briefing for the meeting?” he said, terribly aware of what his face had to look like. Kylo could feel his ears burning as Hux came closer and was suddenly in his space. Too close.

“We have about an hour, I can brief you in as quick as five minutes though,” he said as he took Kylo’s arm. Kylo let himself be led to an ice blue sofa which was the only unusual thing in the otherwise sparse room. Just like Kylo himself Hux favored to keep his rooms devoid of personal clutter.

“Why meet this early then?” Kylo said, he put his helmet away for now onto a side table. Hux sat down next to him and slid up close so their legs were touching – their thighs pressed together. It appeared intentional on Hux’s part. Kylo could feel Hux’s warmth through his leggings. It was nice.

“I miss our talks. It has been so busy as of late,” Hux said, his hand found its way to Kylo’s arm, sneaking up on him. Kylo looked at Hux’s hand, then their faces were suddenly so close. Kylo felt his heart bound so hard he was sure Hux could hear it as well.

“You know, I had a thought as of late,” Hux said. “A theory, if you will.”

“What is that?” Kylo said quietly, he could feel Hux’s breath on his face when he talked and he didn’t want to move away, curious of Hux’s next words, of what he might do.

“We shall see,” Hux said quietly as his lips descended on Kylo’s, the kiss at first short but then Kylo chased him as Hux looked at him curiously for but a moment before their lips were joined again. Kylo closed his eyes, the briefing suddenly forgotten as was the meeting. His entire world was suddenly Hux, the touch of his lips, the warmth of his body, the affection Kylo could feel from him through the Force. He felt it too, he had already felt it so many months ago but could’ve never hoped Hux would return his feelings.

He couldn’t help but hold on to Hux, to pull him closer until he was in his lap, his warm body pressed against his own. The robe slipped from Hux’s naked shoulder and Kylo craved to touch him, to see all of him. But then he remembered the meeting. With some regret he pulled away from the kiss, a quiet sigh fell from Hux’s lips.

“Hux, the meeting?” Kylo said, whispering it. He dared not to speak out loud in fear of ruining the moment.

“I know, I know,” Hux said, one hand pushed his hair back. “But we still have at least a little time, you know. And I have a private refresher in these quarters.”

Kylo smiled at him, his hands wandering down only to slip into Hux’s robe where the general was indeed very naked. Hux let him.

“How unreasonable to keep your gloves on,” Hux whispered into his ear as he leaned in closer. “I want to feel your skin on mine, even if it’s just for a moment.”

Kylo felt goosebumps rise at the back of his neck where he felt Hux’s breath, his easy touch, the warmth emanating from his skin. He pulled his own gloves off, one after another before he put his hands back on Hux who had shuffled around a bit so he could touch Kylo as well, running his hands down his chest while he went for another kiss. His tongue slipped easily into Kylo’s mouth. It was so damn hot and arousing. Not only the touches but also what Kylo could feel of Hux through the Force – his want, his own arousal. He wanted Kylo and Kylo liked being wanted. Kylo knew he had gotten hard a while ago when Hux had first started to kiss him but now he felt painfully restricted in his pants. He groaned against Hux’s lip as Hux brushed his hand over Kylo’s growing bulge. But Hux wasn’t unaffected himself. When Kylo’s hand found its way back into the inside of Hux’s robe he lightly brushed over his soft stomach down to his cock which stood up proudly from his abdomen from a nest of neatly groomed copper curls.

Hux moaned against him, only moving away enough to discard his robe entirely so he was fully in the nude where he sat in Kylo’s lap, his cock leaking slightly. Kylo paused to observe the perfect expanse of Hux’s soft, pale skin. He was perfect. Kylo swallowed hard.

“Hux, you’re beautiful,” Kylo whispered, unable to keep his thoughts to himself.

“Please,” Hux said. “You lovely creature, call me Armitage.”

“Fine. But then you must call me Kylo.”

Hux’s hand stroked over Kylo’s clothed erection, making him groan ever so slightly. “Of course, Kylo.”

Hearing his name from Hux's mouth made him feel a pleasant shiver which went straight to his cock. He angled his face closer to snatch another kiss while his hand was taking a hold of Hux's bare erection. If Kylo had thought Hux was beautiful before he was even more so as he moaned and bucked slightly into his hand. But Hux didn't forget about him. His hands moved insistently to the fastenings of Kylo's pants, fumbling at them until he brushed over Kylo's dick in return. With a tight moan Kylo helped Hux, not with his hands but with the Force to open his own pants. Hux’s hand slipped in and took him in hand, freeing Kylo’s cock from its confines. It sprang up big and hard when Hux pulled down Kylo’s underwear.

“Oh,” he mouthed. “You’re so big. You’re big all over.” The awe in Hux’s voice and face was very real. Kylo felt instantly flattered.

His face felt so warm, he would’ve laughed but Hux was so beautiful in his lap and his hand was tight around his cock so instead he ran his thumb over the head of Hux’s cock to collect some of his precome before stroking down. Whatever Hux was going to say was lost in a moan. With one hand he clawed at Kylo’s shoulder, with his other he returned the favor, his grip steady as he stroked Kylo.

Kylo couldn’t hold back moans of his own. He returned every stroke Hux gave him, even if the angle was weird, unusual, he had never jerked anyone off before even if he had done other things.

“I’m about to come,” Hux moaned into his ear. Kylo was getting close as well even though they only started recently. He didn’t care and Hux didn’t seem to mind either.

“Me too,” he said, his own voice throaty. It had been so long since someone had touched him like this. Too long. Hux’s hand was so hot and good on him and when Hux started mouthing at his neck Kylo couldn’t hold it anymore. He held onto Hux’s hip with his other hand as he came, splattering his come all over Hux’s waist, his soft belly. Kylo knew his own strokes became irregular but it didn’t stop Hux from coming all over his hand.

They were both breathing hard as they leaned against each other.

“I think we should get cleaned up and ready for the meeting,” Hux said breathlessly.

“The briefing?”

“I’ll tell you in the shower.”

***

“Kylo? Kylo? Can you hear me?”

Kylo opened his eyes to the smoldering throne room with Hux bending over him. He startled, sitting upright in an instant, their faces almost colliding if it weren’t for Hux moving out of the way in time. He looked overworked. They both were ever since Starkiller had been destroyed.

“Where is the girl?” Kylo said, his limbs struggling to follow his commands. The throne room was still slightly burning around them, the corpses of the praetorian guards were littering the floor.

“Kylo, Snoke is dead,” Hux said, his hand warm and solid on his shoulder, only backing away as Kylo stumbled to his feet. He followed, also standing.

“The girl. She killed Snoke,” Kylo rambled. He knew it wasn’t true. He saw in Hux’s face that he also knew. But they needed the lie even if it were to only focus on a common goal.

“Is this the story you want to tell the others?” Hux said, openly doubting him. “You know what this means. We’re free. But nothing of that will matter if we don’t stop the Resistance.”

“I know,” Kylo growled as he barged towards the exit of the chamber with Hux at his heels.

“Kylo, you-”

Kylo rounded on him, suddenly in his face.

“I was Snoke’s apprentice. If anyone is going to rule the Order it’s me,” he said and the feeling of betrayal was apparent in Hux’s face. It hurt Kylo to see it. They didn’t have time for struggling for power.

“After this,” Kylo said, wiping some sweat and grime off his face with the back of his hand. “After this I’ll make you my Grand Marshal, like Snoke never did. You’ll be my partner but this time for everyone to see, I promise. Armitage, the Order is ours now. It’s just a moment longer, please. Trust me.”

Hux was quiet for a moment but still followed Kylo to the elevator. He was furious.

“Fine,” he said, grinding his teeth. “And we better be a united front, Supreme Leader.”

The title sounded stale from Hux’s mouth. But still, he at least acknowledged him. Sort of. They had to get this over with, hunt the remnants of the Resistance down. Afterwards they could talk, set the rules. For now they had to act.

….

Kylo couldn’t help himself. His fear had rooted him to the spot as he shouted for more shots to be fired at his uncle, hopeful he didn’t have to go down there himself to finish it. But the man just brushed it off as if completely unbothered. He could feel Hux’s concern but it didn’t deter him until he shouted the troops to a halt and berated him openly.

“I need to get down there and face him,” Kylo said, his lips quivering as he gave the command to bring them down to the surface.

“Supreme Leader, please don’t get distracted,” Hux said, stepping close to him, into his space. Kylo couldn’t help but lean closer to him to whisper into his ear so the others couldn’t hear. He didn’t care about the way the officers looked at them.

“I have to do this, Armitage. I have to face him,” Kylo said. Hux’s lips quivered as well, it was as if he was going to say something but he didn’t, instead he nodded and repeated Kylo’s earlier command to the troops. The shuttle set down and Kylo got mentally ready to face his uncle. To kill him if he could. His lightsaber was already in his hand as he stepped out of the shuttle.

It turned out he couldn’t kill his uncle because Luke Skywalker outsmarted him yet again. He wasn’t even physically present and Kylo had figured it out too late. So late as to give the Resistance ample time to flee. He was furious, not only at his uncle but also at himself for not noticing it sooner.

So when he stood inside the Resistance hideout and saw the die on the ground he squatted to pick them up, only to have them vanish into thin air right then and there. He knew it then, Luke Skywalker was dead, he became one with the Force.

“Leave us,” Hux said from outside the room. Kylo looked to him, watched him come in from where he was still squatting on the dirt floor. Hux extended a hand to help him up and Kylo took it even though he didn’t need to. They stood in silence for a second or two, Kylo taking in the worry plain on Hux’s face. Without the troops watching they could be open with each other.

“What does this mean? Is he dead?” Hux whispered, leaning in close. Kylo wanted nothing more than to crawl into his arms but for now he had to be a leader. Later in his quarters he could pull Hux to him and rest his head on the soft expanse of Hux’s belly. And maybe Hux would stroke his hair lovingly, like he often did after a long day or when Kylo came back from a hard mission.

“Skywalker is dead, the Resistance is gone,” Kylo said with a strange calm. He knew what he had to do. He stepped ahead of Hux and made his way to the door.

“Come, Grand Marshal. We have to subjugate the remaining system loyal to the New Republic.”

He didn’t have to see Hux to know he was smirking.

“Very well, Supreme Leader,” he said, this time with determination.


End file.
